Oh, Baby
by Smapdi
Summary: Multi-chapter, taking place after season two. Danny and Mindy on the road to expanding their family. Does anything ever go smoothly for these two?
1. One Month

It wasn't like he was counting the days or anything, but Danny was very aware of the timeframe of his latest, last incarnation of his relationship with Mindy. The reboot, Danny and Mindy 2.0, seemed to have happened so recently it was like a dream, but it had actually been just over four weeks. Danny's bruises had faded and his cracked ribs knit, but the most amazing healing had taken almost no time at all.

His heart.

It was so full now, sometimes he felt it would break his chest. He couldn't remember a time he had ever been so happy - maybe as a child, but darker memories of those days shadowed any hint of youthful glee. Even their first weeks as a couple couldn't compare, because his moments of joy would be constantly interrupted by his nagging doubt, his fear of fucking up. And fuck up he did, in spades, which made it so much clearer now that he could never, ever do anything so stupid and reckless again, and somehow that alleviated his fear.

Yeah, he was kind of a messed up guy. But he was changing. He felt like he was becoming a different person, a snake who was shedding his skin. Smiling wasn't a rare occurrence anymore, it was now becoming the norm. Annoying things that he would have spent so much time ranting about, in particular, Mindy things, were no more than mere bumps in the road - in fact, sometimes they charmed him. Especially the Mindy things.

Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff, as one of Mindy's Facebook friends liked to post frequently - he thought it was really Morgan, because he was pretty sure no real person was named Bones McBarkerson. Point is, those smarmy little quotes you find on motivational posters would normally elicit a curled lip and a dissertation on pop psychology, but now, they kinda made sense to him.

Danny knew it was just the addled brain of a man in love, but he didn't mind. When he had told Mindy that what they had was real, on that dark night that he thought he had lost her for good, it was the most honest he had ever been with her -and with himself. After they both accepted their feelings, things just clicked.

So laying there in the morning light, looking at her curled up with her back to him, he couldn't stop thinking about the future, their future. This was forever to him. She had as much as moved in at this point, because there really was no reason to be apart if they didn't have to be. Even though they worked together, they didn't see each other all that often in the office, between appointments and deliveries and rotating schedules, so the time at home together was precious.

It was surprisingly nice not to hide it, either. Sure, for the first couple of weeks, it was a little outside his comfort zone, but then it was just the way it was supposed to be and things were pretty normal. More kissing, yeah, definitely more kissing. As long as he kept his roving hands off Mindy until they were behind closed doors, nobody even looked twice when they stopped at reception and parted ways with a quick smooch.

And yes, he used the word smooch, and she always rolled her eyes, and smooched him anyway.

It was too soon, he thought, watching the reflections dance across her shiny hair, too soon to really think about their talk, too soon to disrupt this comfortable routine they had so easily fallen into. But it stayed in the back of his mind, breaking his train of thought on so many occasions, and he wondered, when? Neither of them was getting any younger, and once the seed was planted, so to speak, he just couldn't let it go. He had fought for so long the idea of falling in love again, of being a dad, and once he had won the first battle he was so ready to fight the other. But it was really too soon. He needed to just enjoy this - them - for a little while longer.

Mindy stirred a little, and Danny couldn't resist her. He curled his body up behind her, slipping a hand under her camisole and burying his nose against her neck to inhale the sweet scent of her. She purred and moved her face towards him. "Hey. Baby. Morning breath."

He laid a quick kiss on her shoulder before getting up to brush his teeth. A late night delivery augmented by a lot of coffee made for a less than fresh mouth, and it was telling that Mindy had no problem being blunt about it - they were comfortable enough almost instantly to not need to hide from honesty anymore.

Danny slipped back into bed, where Mindy had rolled onto her back and drifted off to sleep again. He snuggled up, lips returning to her silky soft shoulder, his hand finding her not perfectly flat but just perfect tummy. _This is where our babies will grow_, he thought, and felt tears sting his eyes. _What a sap I've turned into. _But he couldn't stop smiling. He rubbed her stomach softly and ran his hand up to her ribs, just under her breasts, not going any further while she was still sleeping. Just as he started to move his hand away, he was stopped by her smaller hand clutching his.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mindy murmured sleepily, drawing his hand back up to cup her breast.

"Nowhere. Ever." He whispered back. He stroked her lazily, his thumb brushing the pebbled tip, and she arched up into his touch. Danny was a big fan of all parts of Mindy, though he knew she was slightly obsessed with the idea that she was too small, not symmetrical enough, not perfect like the airbrushed images in the magazines. But she was so wrong, on all counts, because he found her just exactly right in every way. She was a woman and she looked like a woman, and the most beautiful thing was that she would use these magnificent gifts to feed their babies one day.

But until then... they were for him.

Nudging her camisole up, he kissed his way from her belly up to capture a nipple with his lips, feeling it stiffen, his tongue caressing and teeth gently nipping. She moaned and it was music to his ears. He could stay here all day, but Mindy clearly had other ideas, as she turned into him and reached down to take him in her hand.

He kissed her then, his mouth minty fresh, hers somehow cinnamon even in the early morning. She tucked her body into his, two puzzle pieces that didn't make sense but they just fit. Yes, there was time to enjoy this, just the two of them, for a little while longer.


	2. Four Months

Danny walked into his office, absentmindedly humming some annoying tune that he couldn't get out of his head. He didn't know the words, or if there even were words, he just knew he had been hearing it nonstop for a week as whoever it was just had their "album drop" whatever that meant. This was a whole new world, living with Mindy - sometimes he felt like he was watching a movie about two crazy people who shouldn't belong together. All he knew was he wouldn't have it any other way.

Since Betsy had moved away, the office had gone through a slew of new hires who subsequently quit or were fired. Apparently Beverly wasn't the easiest person to work with, never mind the rest of the staff. So he had a stack of applications sitting there waiting for his attention, but apparently, that wasn't all.

There was a familiar looking round container on his desk. Danny picked it up and flipped it around, opening it to see it was empty. When he glanced up, Mindy was in the doorway watching him, one eyebrow quirked.

"This yours?" Danny asked.

Mindy nodded and walked in, shutting the door behind her. She hesitated, then sat across from him.

"My prescription ran out. So, you could write me a new one..."

Danny looked down and back up, a confused twist on his lips. "But I'm not your doctor..."

And then it made sense, and he couldn't help but smile. Mindy cast her eyes down and bit her lip, peeking back up at him through her lashes. "No, you're not."

"Well, I can't prescribe to non-patients, you know that. And you can't be my patient..." His smile grew. "Because I believe you might have some unprofessional, rather personal feelings for me. So, I can't help you with this."

"Okay, so..." Mindy took a deep breath, her eyes burning intensely into Danny's as though she wanted him to read her mind. She probably did; he already had. She had been subtly dropping hints for weeks - laughing baby videos on YouTube, endlessly cooing over pregnant celebrities. Not that she hadn't done that as long as he had known her, but it was more frequent, more pointed. To be honest, it was kind of exciting, seeing her ramp up to the decision he had already made.

Danny leaned back in his chair, spinning a pen between his fingers, his eyes never leaving her face. She rolled her eyes, knowing he was going to make her work for it. A tiny smile crossed her lips.

"I could go back to my regular doctor to get a refill. Or..."

"Or?" He rubbed the slight stubble on his chin as he waited for her to get to the point.

"Or I could... not." She licked her lips delicately. Danny felt a stir of several different emotions, not the least of which was the desire to leap over the table and crush his own lips to hers and get started on that baby making.

"I know it seems like I might be rushing things, but... I was just thinking, maybe..."

He was enjoying her uncomfortably hemming and hawing, and she noticed.

"Danny! Say something!"

"You want to try a Depo shot?"

Mindy narrowed her eyes. "Danny..."

"Norplant? IUD?"

"Danny!" Mindy was out of her seat and behind the desk in a instant, pummeling Danny. "You know that's not what I'm talking about!"

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling him onto his lap.

"I know." He murmured before he kissed her soundly. "You really wanna do it? You want to have a baby?"

"I want us to have a baby." She corrected. "I know, it's crazy. We've only been together a few months. But I love you so much, Danny..."

"I love you too." He pushed her hair back so he could gaze into her eyes. "If you're ready, I'm ready."

"It's not like it will happen right away anyway..." She leaned into him, bumping her nose against his before peppering his face with soft kisses. "Of course, with my luck, I'll get knocked up the first time. My big Italian stud...

"It will happen when it happens." Danny stilled her face with his hands. "But we can't start right this minute, so you need to get off my lap."

For a moment, it was exhilarating. After a decade plus of taking every possible effort to avoid an accidental pregnancy, Mindy was slave to birth control no more. She was prepared for the hormonal effects and warned Danny. "I am going to be a moody, zit covered mess for a while. You have to promise you're still going to love me through it all."

Of course, he made that promise.

And she wasn't kidding. For the few days while the hormones left her system, Mindy was a wee bit of a psycho bitch. She tried really hard to leave her snark attacks for strangers who bumped into her on the street or the barista who spelled her name wrong, but occasionally Danny got caught in the crossfire. She was immediately contrite and apologized for biting his head off, usually with tears and hugs and promises to be a better girlfriend. And then, she usually wanted ice cream.

Once she was back to some semblance of humanity, she started having some serious second thoughts. Since she had been hormonal, cranky and decidedly not horny, they had not yet taken the step of having unprotected baby-making sex. Now, she wasn't sure.

"Danny. Do you think we're nuts for trying this right now? Are we really ready?" Mindy walked into the bathroom, where Danny was brushing his teeth before bedtime, and proceeded to drop her pajama pants and sit on the toilet.

Danny spat out a mouthful of froth. "I don't know, Min. You're comfortable enough with 'us' that you can walk in here and pee in front of me. I'd say we're ready for anything." He rinsed and turned around with a grin. "You scared?"

"Obviously." She finished and flushed, then stood up to slip her arms around Danny's waist, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Me too. But it's a good scared."

"It's just... I don't know, Danny. It's like, when I have this idea of something, it's great and awesome, but when it starts to look like reality... I kind of want to run away."

Danny chuckled into her hair. "I know. Believe me... I know. But when you decide not to run... It could be the best decision you ever made." He pulled back and lifted her chin with his hand, tilting her head back so he could kiss her.

"Let's do this."

"Right here? Okay." Mindy reached for his waistband.

"No, no, I meant... what the hell."


	3. Six Months

"Happy anniversary, Danny."

Mindy had bought one of her friendship cakes, customized for their six month celebration, to give to Danny, though she hoped dearly he would share. Of course, he did - he had to, as she ended up sitting on his lap, feeding it to him, giving him messy, sugary kisses in between bites.

"Min. I'm going into a sugar coma here. Can we save some of this for later?" Danny groaned, not just from the belly full of cake and buttercream. Mindy was wiggling on his lap most inappropriately for the office, her pink tongue darting out to taste the corners of his mouth as she giggled.

"The cake? Or... this?" She ground her ass against his groin.

"Both!" He kissed her quickly and pushed her off his lap.

"Rude!" She shrieked while still laughing. "I bring you cake and a cookie and you give me nothing and shove me to the floor!"

"A cookie?" He said confusedly, then caught her meaning when she gave him a mischievous grin. "Oh. Well, I promise I will eat that cookie when we get home. And who says I'm giving you nothing?"

"You give me that all the time, Danny. Not that I don't appreciate it..."

"That's not what I meant." He reached in the drawer and pulled out a notepad, handing it to her with a grin.

"I hate you, Danny. You can stick that notepad up your..."

"Stop. The notepad isn't your gift, you nut job. You'll get that later. I just wanted you to write a shopping list because I think you zeroed out the fridge again."

"Okay, Danny." Mindy dropped the pad and pulled out her phone. "Since it's not 1972 I can actually do it on my phone and get this - they will deliver it!"

"You can't trust people to pick out good fruits and vegetables. I want to pick my own." Danny grumbled, starting the list on the notepad himself.

"Well, you picked out a great pair of melons!" Mindy grabbed her chest and made exaggerated motions. Danny just rolled his eyes and started asking her about groceries, which was the fastest way to get her out of his office.

Hours later, Danny got a text that just said "need u" with a sad face. He found Mindy curled in a ball in the doctors lounge, looking tired and sad.

"Hey." He said quietly as he sat down next to her and reached to rub her knee. She sat up and collapsed back down against him. "You okay?"

"This day just sucks, Danny. It was supposed to be special, but it's just gone downhill so fast... had two patients cancel this afternoon and I just know they're going to the midwives. We need to get them evicted, Danny! And then I had the delivery from hell and now... well, I guess it's a good thing I finally got my period." Mindy's voice was shaky and Danny could tell she was trying really hard to hold it together. He hugged her tightly. "At least it means I'm finally ovulating, but it also means I ovulated and didn't get pregnant. So... poopy day."

"Well, we knew it might be a few months before you were back on track. It's normal." He rubbed her back lazily.

"I know, I know. I'm still disappointed."

"I came to see if you wanted to go grab some dinner?"

Mindy pulled away and put her hand on Danny's cheek. "I really just want to go home and take a hot bath and cry. Maybe we can order in?"

Danny gazed at her and reached up to cover her hand with his own, then brought it to his lips, kissing her palm before lowering it and lacing his fingers into hers. "Are you sure? I have a little something for you. For our anniversary."

Her eyes brightened. "Really?" She pulled her hand away and clapped giddily.

"I told you I got you something!"

Mindy shrugged. "I didn't know if you meant like a highlighter or a pack of gum. Okay, okay. I want my present!"

Danny took her hands in his again, suddenly looking a little nervous. "Okay. So, hey. I was gonna do this at dinner, to be, you know... romantic and whatnot. But here's as good a place as any, since I'm pretty bad at these grand gesture things."

She just furrowed her brow and looked at him in confusion, her heart starting to pound. This was seeming like much more than a random stapler.

He grinned lopsidedly and looked away for a second, and when he looked back, his eyes were shining and damp. "So I was thinking maybe we just need to do things in the right order."

Mindy watched as he fumbled in his scrubs pocket. "I've been carrying this around all day. For, you know, motivation." He slid out of her embrace to the floor, kneeling, thrusting something into the hand he was holding. Her eyes got wide.

"Danny..." She choked, tears welling.

"Aw, baby, I'm trying to make your day less poopy. Don't start to cry now."

Mindy sniffled and laughed as she shakily opened the black velvet box. Her eyes moved from the simple yet elegantly set stones in the ring to Danny's smiling face and just nodded, unable to speak. He took her face in his hands and whispered to her. "I love you Mindy. Please say you'll marry me."

"Yes... yes... yes..." She sighed as she kissed him. He eased himself back onto the couch and Mindy clambered on top of him.

"Okay... Min, we're still in public."

She threw back her head and laughed. "Oh my God, Danny. Only you would propose in the Doctor's Lounge, of all places."

"Hey, I told you, I'm not good at this stuff." He said sheepishly as he eased her off his lap, still holding her tightly.

"No, no. It's perfect. You're perfect. I love you."

"Give me your hand. Let's make this official." Danny slipped the ring onto her finger and she shrieked with joy, jumping back onto him. "You still want to take that hot bath and cry?" He teased.

"Yes, but for entirely different reasons." She said in a low voice before kissing him again.

Just then, Jeremy walked in the lounge and grimaced at the scene.

"Good lord, you two are like horny teenagers. Mindy never let me do that when we were... never mind."

Mindy leapt up, eager to display her dazzling jewelry. Danny needed a minute before he could join her.

"Well, you never did this" she gloated, waggling her hand in Jeremy's face. His jaw dropped.

"What the hell, man?" He turned to Danny in shock. "Now you've gone and done it!" He hugged Mindy and shook Danny's hand and then hugged him too, much to Danny's chagrin.

"Oh God." Danny muttered. "If you're hugging me, what the hell is Morgan going to do?"


	4. Twelve Months

"This is it, Danny. This our last night together. Are you going to miss me?"

Danny came out of the bathroom and leaned over the bed to kiss his fiancée. "Last night? You getting cold feet, Lahiri?"

"Shut up. Are you?"

He joined her under the covers and she snuggled up to him, clinging like a koala. "Your feet are always cold, woman."

"Be serious. Are you having second thoughts? Tell me now. Don't leave me standing at the altar like you left me waiting at the Empire State Building." Mindy curled her fingers into his shirt her cold toes seeking out his.

Danny knew she was kidding, mostly, but he hated that there was even a kernel of doubt about how much he loved her.

"Mindy, I'm not having any thoughts except how much I can't wait to make you mine forever. Okay? End of story." He rolled onto his side and slipped an arm around her waist to stroke her back.

She smiled up at him. "But you didn't answer my first question. Are you going to miss me?"

"It's one night, Min." He kissed her on the nose. "But yes, I will miss you terribly."

"Danny, I haven't slept alone in almost a year. It's going to be very traumatic for me, and you're going to be out partying." Mindy pouted.

"I'd hardly call it a party." Danny sighed. "Some dumbasses from Staten and the guys from work."

"Uh, if Peter is involved, it will be a party. You do remember my very liberal girlfriend rules, right?"

Danny sighed. "You don't have to worry..." He saw the expression on Mindy's face and continued. "Fine. Don't get so drunk that you pass out. Min, I won't..."

"I am not walking down the aisle to a groom with dicks drawn on his face in sharpie marker!"  
She patted his cheek affectionately. "And the second rule?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "It's a non-issue. I'm not..."

"I'll remind you, just in case. I don't care what gets rubbed on you, but nothing of yours goes in anywhere. Nothing, Danny. I know how you like to 'work things out.' "

"Jesus, Min. I promise, you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried. I just wanted you to remember what an awesome girlfriend I am, in case you get... tempted." Mindy traced circles on his chest.

"I'm do, and I won't. And I think I was pretty relaxed about your little party, so it goes both ways."

"Well, it was just a bridal shower. Nothing but women and wine. And cake."

"Exactly." Danny said smugly.

Mindy smacked him lightly. "You're going to be happy about it in a couple of days. I got some goodies..."

"Oh? Like what?" His hand roamed south, slowly tracing his fingers along her spine till he reached her hips.

"You'll find out..." She teased. "Just be a good boy tomorrow. I want our wedding day to be perfect."

"So do I!"

"I know, but..." Mindy hesitated. "I have a pretty bad track record for things actually coming off without a hitch. I just want things to go smoothly for once."

"You trust me, don't you?" Danny asked, searching her face

"Of course."

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything to jeopardize that. It will be perfect, I promise." Danny grinned at her. "Besides, we didn't invite any exes."

"Well..."

"Okay, Jeremy is a technicality. I love you, future Mrs. Castellano." He pulled her face to his and kissed her.

"You are such a dork, current Mr. Castellano." She giggled as she kissed him back.

Two days later, on the one year anniversary of their reunion at the Empire State Building, Mindy married Danny. It was a surprisingly simple but elegant affair, considering Mindy's normal extravagance, but somewhere along the way, she had become more fiscally responsible. Danny had always been financially conservative and surprisingly socially liberal for being so old fashioned.

"Duh, Mindy." He had responded when she remarked on it, early in their relationship; she had rubbed off on him too. "I have a gay brother and I'm a pro choice ob/gyn. How does it surprise you that I'm a registered Democrat?"

"Because I've MET you, Danny." She had scoffed.

For the first week or two following the engagement, she had gone bonkers with phone book sized bridal magazines and online sites until one morning she threw up her hands and said she was over it.

"I mean it, Danny." She said earnestly as he laughed into his shredded wheat. "It's too much. Let's fly to Vegas. That's romantic!"

"Sweetheart, there is such a thing as a middle ground." Danny knew she wouldn't be satisfied without some kind of event, and she hadn't been at all upset at the obscene cost of her engagement ring. "I know it's unfamiliar territory, but you can plan to do something without spending the equivalent of the GNP of a small European nation..."

Mindy's eyes had glazed over. But she got the point, and with the assistance of some fabulous wedding planners named Richie and Ramon ("2R's in charge now honey, you will not regret it!" they had shrieked.) they were quickly able to put together something that made everyone content. Mindy was actually a little bit relieved that she hadn't conceived, so that her gown didn't have to be altered, and since she had so much else on her mind, the fact that it wasn't happening yet was easy to ignore.

The day wasn't entirely drama-free, of course. They had decided to wed outdoors, but naturally rain threatened. "I swear, if I find a black fly in my Chardonnay, I'm going to hunt down and kill Alanis Morissette." Mindy groused as she got dressed at Danny's mother's house. "I've never forgiven her for breaking Ryan's heart!"

Ma Castellano had offered up her home for the wedding, and Mindy had been a little hesitant, until she saw how happy the idea had made Danny. He hadn't made any requests, just wanting her to have a special day. So they had decided on a small private ceremony with just close friends and family, followed by a balls out party at a nearby reception hall.

It was an hour before the ceremony when Peter had come in and begged her to call it off.

"Mindy. You can't marry this loser." He had whined. "You look hot, by the way."

"Peter, you're an idiot. What did Danny do?" She hadn't seen him in over 24 hours and was already missing him.

"He drank one beer and played darts all night. I couldn't even get him to the titty bar. Gaawwwd, why didn't you marry Cliff? That would have been a bangin bachelor party!"

Mindy hugged him. "Thank you for putting up with him, Pete. I think I'll keep him."

"Yeah, dude loves you. He just kept looking at his phone and grinning. Make it up to him tonight, you filthy little minx."

"Get the fuck outta here, Mr. Wedding." Mindy laughed as she shoved him out the door.

The wedding itself went off flawlessly. It was fortunate there were a photographer, because it was just a blur to Mindy from the moment she saw Danny's face as he turned to watch her walk down the aisle.

But when she looked at the pictures, the memories flooded back, crystal clear. Danny's eyes, wet and shining, droplets of happiness adorning his pony lashes. The way he took her hands in his as it began, and held them the whole time, and she didn't even mind how they were so, so sweaty.

The way he held her face in those big hands when the priest said you may now kiss the bride.

The way he kissed her.

She laughed at the posed shots afterwards, how they both glowed, unable to stop smiling. And how she realized when she changed out of her sleek white gown that she would never get the makeup stained hand print off the ass.

How shocked Peter was at the reception when he caught the garter, and how joyous Betsy was to catch the bridal bouquet... and how awkward the photos of the two of them turned out.

There was no way to accurately capture their happiness in photos as they danced their first dance, fed each other cake without smearing it on each other, hugged their friends and family again and again, until finally calling it a night far later than planned, but not too late to share their first night of wedded bliss.

There were no photos of that...

Danny hoped.


	5. Fifteen Months

Mindy was inconsolable. The pregnancy test was, once again, negative.

Ice cream and foot massages weren't cutting it. Danny had exhausted his usual Mindy-cures and was now at his wit's end trying to bring a stop to her crying jag. It wasn't that she was being dramatic - he had known her long enough to tell the difference between a celebrity break-up and real anguish. He just had very little experience dealing with the latter.

Once she came down from the wedding high, life was supposed to go back to normal, and mostly, it did. The consistencies of day to day life - making a home with Danny, staying busy with her job, keeping up with her reality tv shows. It was good, and she was happy, but it still wasn't enough.

It had been nearly a year since she had stopped using birth control and she hadn't gotten pregnant. Something wasn't right. She could excuse the first months to her system regulating, sure, and then the next few, that could be chalked up to being busy and stressed making wedding plans. Her cycle was irregular and they had just missed the window, that was all. Except now, after this long, it just didn't make sense, and it all crashed down on her at once.

"Sweetheart. Darling. My beautiful wife. Please stop crying." Danny held her in his arms as she sobbed.

"You don't get it, Danny. Do the math. I'm about to turn 36 and I can't get pregnant. I'm infertile."

He let her bury her face into his shirt. "You're not infertile." He said reassuringly, rubbing her back.

"Don't lie to me, Danny. We promised we would always be honest with each other and you know as well as I do what it means when a woman doesn't conceive after trying for a year."

"Well, it hasn't been a year. You can't count the first months... and it's not like we've really tried."

"Um, hello, Danny. We bang all the damned time." She paused to blow her nose and looked at him with tear streaks on her cheeks.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything if it's not the right time. Come on, DOCTOR. What would you tell a patient who came to you with this issue?"

Mindy sniffled. Danny's pragmatic nature came in handy at times. "I'd say that we need to take some steps to investigate what's going on but it's too early to make any assumptions."

"Right." He squeezed her hand. "So let's start with a few tests and see if there's anything going on with either of us."

"But, Danny..."

He interrupted her mid-whine. "No, don't 'but, Danny' me. I know how your mind works. You're already leaping to conclusions."

"I don't want to take fertility drugs, Danny! I can't be an octomom! You'd leave me for someone who didn't look like they swallowed a baby dolphin." Mindy started to go off the rails again, gesturing wildly.

"Nobody said anything about drugs. Just stop. Mindy, look at me." Danny took her hands and pulled her closer. "You are going to get pregnant. You're going to have great big belly full of my chubby baby and I will never, ever leave you. So please just reel it back in and let's make some plans."

Mindy nodded, visibly relaxing by the moment. Danny wrapped his arms around her and pressed kisses onto her head. He knew he had already had the tests to make sure all his business was in order, but he'd do it again anyway, in hopes maybe he was to blame for the possible issue.

A few weeks and medical tests later, Mindy was feeling more positive. Danny's "little swimmers" passed with flying colors, and her ob/gyn found nothing out of the ordinary with Mindy; in fact she was very encouraging. Mindy arrived home that evening with all sorts of literature and equipment.

"She pretty much told me what I already knew, baby, but she thinks we will be fine. We just need to do things a little differently..."

Some of the tips were easy, like cutting back in caffeine and alcohol. Easy for Danny, since he didn't have to do it, but in support of his bride, he agreed to join her in that endeavor. A little tougher was quitting smoking, but she was insistent, and he agreed he should have done it a long time ago.

"And Danny, we have to be prepared. Once this ovulation detector says it's time to go, we need to do it, and do it right." Mindy's seriousness was irresistible.

"I think I can handle that, Min. In fact, I suggest we practice frequently to make sure we are doing it right." Danny dragged Mindy away from her pamphlets and carried her into the bedroom.

"Okay, Danny. It's time! I'm ripe!" Mindy called out from the bathroom. Danny was in the middle of cooking dinner.

"Baby, do you want think we can wait five minutes so I can get the roast in the oven?" He replied, knowing full well the answer would be no.

"Danny! Do you want a roast in the oven or a bun in the oven? Get in here!"

He washed his hands and removed his apron. Far be it from him to deny Mindy a good roll in the hay.

She had already stripped from the waist down and was waiting for him on the bed. He walked over and leaned down to kiss her and she pushed him away. "No time for that, Romeo. Let's make a baby!" Mindy undid his jeans and pulled them down unceremoniously, grabbing him and starting to work him with her mouth.

"Whoa, Min. Hang on. Contrary to what Kanye might think, I can't get your mouth pregnant." He smirked at her.

Mindy slipped his half hard-on from her lips and grinned at him. "Dammit, you might have won some brownie points with me for that one." Then she pinched his ass hard. "But don't be an idiot. You need to come first, so you've gotta be ready to pop. Then my orgasm will help move the sperm."

"Well, that's romantic." Danny shrugged as Mindy returned to the task at hand. "I could always make you come twice, you know."

She let him go again. "I'm not going to waste one, Danny!"

A very short time later, he had done his part and Mindy was waiting, hips tilted, a pillow under her ass. "Okay, my turn. Make me come."

Danny chuckled. "Are you always this bossy when you don't get to come first?"

"Ha ha, funny guy. Let's not make that a habit so you don't have to find out."

A nearly not as short time later, Mindy was relaxing in whatever sort of post-coital haze that a very awkward, non-sexy bout of sex could produce.

"You know, you don't really have to do all this... we could just have regular old mutually appealing sexy times and it's just as effective." Danny was laying next to her for moral support. "Mother Nature knows how to get stuff where it needs to go."

"Well, it can't hurt. And obviously Mother Nature needs a little help where I'm concerned."

Danny rubbed her belly. "You need anything? Water?"

Mindy sat up on her elbows. "Oh my God, Danny. A grilled cheese sandwich would be the most awesome thing ever "

"Sure, no problem." He grinned and rose to fix her a meal. "We can have the roast tomorrow."

"I love you, Danny!" She shouted after him. "And ice water! With a bendy straw!"

Danny smiled to himself as he fixed the sandwich. If only her other desires could be fulfilled as easily.


	6. Eighteen Months

Mindy's voice rang out, high pitched and clearly upset.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

Danny closed his eyes, exhaling deeply and laying the novel he had been trying to read to the side. "What now?" He blurted before catching himself. It wasn't like she wasn't going to tell him whatever this new problem was, in painful detail.

The past few months had not been easy. Danny knew when he married this woman that they would have ups and downs, and he had been prepared for that. He just wasn't prepared for things to spiral down, just down, so quickly.

Mindy had been crushed when she didn't conceive the month following their visit to the fertility clinic, and it was even worse the month after. She didn't have any more dramatic breakdowns; what she had was worse - she just shut down. When she did show emotion, it wasn't pleasant. She was short tempered, easy to anger, even with him, or cold and distant, and he struggled to keep his own tendencies towards reacting in kind under control.

And the sex - what had been a joyous expression of their feelings was now brief and mechanical, almost robotic. They followed a strict format, and it didn't even matter to Mindy if she got any pleasure out of the act, because it was now just a means to an end. Danny didn't find it particularly pleasurable either. It was hard for him to believe that he would ever feel less than ecstatic at the though of Mindy in his arms, but when it felt as clinical as his day job, it was hard to get in the mood.

But all of that was meaningless, really, because what truly destroyed him was the realization that his happy, sunny, positive Mindy, the light of his life, seemed to be gone. He prayed that she was just in hiding. She was in such pain and he couldn't draw her out of it.

Just then, she walked into the bedroom holding a flowery pastel card, which she flipped at Danny in disgust. He looked it over and frowned.

"I can't fucking believe this, Danny. Another one. As if the cosmic joke of an obstetrician who can't get pregnant isn't cruel enough! Does everyone I've ever met have to get knocked up?

She slumped on the bed next to him and he went into supportive Danny mode, putting her arm around her shoulders. "Mindy, there's no cosmic joke. We just have to be patient. And let's be happy for Lucy; it doesn't hurt to share her joy right now."

"It does hurt, Danny. I know, I'm a terrible person, but I just can't deal with it. And she's not even a patient! She's probably going to the fucking midwives." Mindy punched at the pillows in frustration. "Every day at work I get to give good news to people, even people who don't want a baby. Does it have to spill over into every facet of my life? I can't just get away from it for a moment?"

Danny sighed, squeezing her and rocking her closer. "Min, to be fair, you're the one who's letting it take over your life."

She pulled away from him angrily. "Thanks. Thanks a lot." She shrugged off his arm and stood up. "I would think you would be the one person who would understand."

He snorted, his own frustrations bubbling over. "Why would you think that? You haven't spent a single minute talking to me about my feelings in months."

Mindy started to snap back and then stopped abruptly. "I... I thought you wanted this too." She said softly.

"I do, you know I do. But not at the expense of us." Danny stood up and started pacing nervously. "You're so wrapped up in this that it's making you miserable, and it's tearing us apart. Can't you see that?" She just stared at him. "You're not happy. I get that. I would do anything to be able to make you happy, but Mindy... I miss us. I miss just being able to spend time with you, hold you, make love to you, without there being this looming cloud over us."

Tears spilled out of Mindy's eyes and slid down her cheeks. "I didn't realize I was so horrible." She choked on the words.

Danny spun on his heel and strode to her, grasping her arms. "You're not horrible! Mindy, I love you."

She pushed him away. "No, I am. I'm horrible, and I'm an idiot." She pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself, bending over slightly as I'd she had been punched. "I wasted so much time chasing this dream of true love, and I can't even enjoy it when I have it, because I just... I started chasing another dream. A dream I can't reach, and it's my fault. I'm a failure, and there's nothing I can do."

He grabbed her again, folding her into his arms even with her protests. "You are not a failure. You are not horrible." He murmured into her hair as she broke down. "Look, there's other things we can do... We just have to try something more... But you need to not let this make you so unhappy. You're just... you're not you right now. But you're not a failure."

"I am, Danny. I am." Mindy took a deep breath and pushed herself back so she could look Danny in the eye. "Tell me something. If this doesn't happen for us... If we never have a child..."

"It's okay, Min. It would be okay. I love you, and you... you are all I need. We have each other. We are a family. Okay?" He smiled tentatively.

"No. That's why... that's why I'm horrible, Danny. That's not... it's not enough. It's not okay." She shook her head fervently, her breath hitching as sobs overtook her.

His smile faltered. "Min... It has to be. For us. We have to make it. We have to be okay."

She just kept shaking her head and crying, refusing to look him in the eye. Danny felt like his heart was breaking all over again. He released his hold and resumed the pacing.

"So what, then? We just keep trying, and you keep getting more and more unhappy, and angry, and I just have to accept that? That's just how our life is going to be? I can't, Mindy. I can't live like that."

She sat on the bed, her face in her hands. "You said you'd never leave me, Danny."

"I won't. I can't." His voice broke as he sat down next to her, wanting to reach for her, console her, but he knew his words would do nothing.

Mindy looked at him and nodded. "I know. But I can't live like that either." She stood up and moved to the closet. "So I... I have to be the one to do it."

"What? What are you talking about?" Danny's voice cracked with panic as he watched her pull a suitcase out and start to throw clothing in it. "Mindy, stop."

"No, I have to. Danny, I just need to get away for a little while. I'll go to my mom and dad's. I haven't seen them in months." She turned to him, her eyes steeled with a resolve he hadn't seen from her in months. "I have to, Danny. I'm suffocating."

He grabbed her by the shoulders and she wrestled herself out of his grasp. "Min, please. Just stay and we can figure it out. I just wanted us to talk. Not this... I don't want this."

"I can't. I'm hurting us both, I see that now." She closed up the case and bolted for the door.

"Mindy. Don't go. I love you, I love you so much. Don't leave me. Don't go." Danny pleaded as he followed after her. "Don't go."

Mindy opened the door and turned to place a hand on his cheek. "I love you, Danny. I have to do this. For me. For us. I have to go." She kissed him softly, tasting his tears on his lips as they mixed with her own, and pulled away, closing the door in his face.

He laid his forehead against the cool wood, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Come back." He whispered. She was too far away to hear, but he wasn't saying it to her. It was more like a prayer.


	7. Eighteen and a Half Months, Give or Take

"So you ran home to mommy. What exactly was that supposed to accomplish?"

Mindy pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at it, then hit the speaker button.

"Shut up, Peter. You're supposed to be helping me through this crisis."

"What crisis? You turned into a mega-bitch because you think your womb is a barren wasteland or something, and then you bailed on the one dude who wants to put up with your crazy. The only crisis here is that I'm talking to you on a Friday night instead of going out trolling for poon."

"You're literally the worst person I've ever met. What happened to mature, adult relationship having Peter? Put him back on the line."

Peter brayed laughter into the phone. "Real emotions are for suckers. Besides, Lauren's in Texas at a brain conference, so it's either talk to you or turn the Jergens bottle upside down to get the dregs out. Or both, if you're game."

Mindy dropped the phone onto the bed. "Ew, ew, ew. Just keep it in your pants and tell me what's going on with Danny. He won't answer my calls or text me back."

"I don't blame him. You boned out and left him hanging. The guy is a fucking wreck without you, Mindy."

"He called my mom before I did. He knew I was safe, and he knew I was reaching out to him. He could have called me! It wasn't like I was trying to avoid him." She ran her hands through her hair, catching them on tiny knots that she picked at to keep her fingers busy. "I know he's pissed at me, but I can't even apologize if he won't talk to me."

Mindy could hear tapping in the background. "Uh huh..."

"Don't look up porn for later when I'm trying to have a conversation, Pete!"

"Sorry. Sorry. Look, he's been working nonstop. He won't talk about you to anyone. Just come home and bang the shit out of him and all will be forgiven."

"I don't think it will be that easy. Look, will you ask him to just please call me? Tell him... tell him I need to hear his voice."

"Okay, but I really think things will be fine once he's balls deep..."

"Thanks, Peter!" She yelled out before hitting end call.

Mindy had been at her parent's home for two weeks and she was terribly homesick. She missed Danny more than she thought possible, and it seemed to be affecting her physically. The first two days, she slept almost nonstop, until her mother practically forced her to shower and dress. But even then she was still exhausted, and had barely any appetite, which for Mindy was definitely worrisome.

Mama Lahiri was a great shoulder to cry on, but she had her limits. Soon, she had Mindy running around town with her, never giving her time to wallow. They would talk in between volunteer visits and errands, and Mindy's mother managed to talk sense into her, a little at a time.

Mindy had felt herself getting herself together within a few days - not because she was away from Danny, but because she was able to escape from her own demons. She wanted to go home from almost the moment she arrived, but once she started to feel better, she became afraid of going back and getting caught up in everything again.

Her mother helped her work through some of her worries until suddenly, her only concern was what she had done to Danny. Mindy knew how badly it hurt him for her to go, but she hadn't understood till now how badly she had hurt herself, and how much she needed him, regardless of whether they had children or not.

She just wanted to talk to Danny, and he wouldn't talk to her. She tried to avoid getting overly emotional in her texts and calls, but she tried at least daily, to no avail.

Finally, at her wits end with fear and longing, Mindy made up her mind to return and make him talk to her. She told her mother and father she was going home, and booked a flight, but when she got to the airport, she started to break down.

"I've been so stupid, Mom. What if he won't forgive me? I never should have left."

Her mother hugged her. "He will forgive you, darling. Us Lahiri women, we go through a lot of crazy mood swings when we're expecting."

Mindy laughed. "Expecting what?"

The older woman clicked her tongue. "Go get a test and find out." She hugged Mindy again and kissed her confused daughter goodbye.

"There's no way..." She said to the retreating figure. Once she was on the plane, she pulled out her calendar and tried to calculate back to when she and Danny had last had sex. It was about a week before she left, but that seemed too soon. She hadn't even bothered with a pregnancy test the prior month because she got her period, albeit a light one. Was it even possible she was... Mindy stopped herself. She didn't want to start overthinking it - she needed to get back to Danny and then figure things out.

He wasn't home when she arrived. The place looked unchanged, except the usual bouquet of fresh flowers weren't on the table. Danny bought them for her almost weekly. It must have killed him to throw out the dead ones while she was gone, she thought. Mindy put her suitcase in the closet and was curled up on the couch, about to text Peter to find out Danny's schedule, when he walked in.

"Hey." She said softly, nervously, her voice barely above a whisper. He just stared at her, blinking, and she felt the blood rushing to her head.

Danny walked to the kitchen and set down his bag and keys before walking into the living area where Mindy waited. He stood still for a moment, swallowing hard, and then he was beside her, engulfing her in his arms. He laid his head against hers, burying his face in her hair and inhaling, almost hyperventilating, and then he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

Mindy said she was sorry again and again, into his mouth, his shoulder, his hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, her tears wetting both their shirts. He finally stopped her, wiping her eyes and then just resting his head against her chest, listening to the beating of her heart.

"Danny, I missed you so much. I wish you'd have talked to me. I needed to hear your voice."

He laughed hollowly. "I was pretty mad at you." He admitted. "I was being stubborn."

"I know. I was an idiot, a selfish idiot. You had to know I was coming back, Danny?" She held his face in her hands and searched his eyes. "I love you so much."

"You said... I wasn't enough. I didn't know..." His eyes were glistening. "I've never felt like I was enough for you."

"Oh God, Danny. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it... I wasn't myself, you said so. It was never you. You're my everything. I just lost sight of what was important, but Danny, I know that now." She kissed him, peppering his face with kisses, reveling in the chance to touch him again.

"I missed you too." Danny grabbed her hands, holding them tight. "I'm sorry I didn't call you. Pete... Pete told me he talked to you a bit."

"Yeah, but he's no replacement for you. He just told me to come home and bang your brains out." She laughed.

His eyebrows raised. "Not that bad of advice, really..." Danny grinned almost shyly.

"Oh, I'm taking his advice." Mindy kissed him again, this time with intent. She stood up and took his hand to lead him into the bedroom.

"But it's not time..."

"That doesn't matter now, Danny. We haven't done this the right way in too long." She replied.

Mindy thought maybe she loved him now more than ever, as he lay next to her just looking at her as if he was amazed that she was real. His fingers were trailing up and down her arm as the couple rested on their sides, tangled in the sheets and each other.

"Thank you." She murmured, gazing at his soft brown eyes.

They crinkled in laughter. "For what? For this?"

She smiled back. "No. I mean yeah, but no. For not giving up on me, for not hating me when I deserved it."

Danny's face grew serious. "That's... no. You don't deserve anything but love."

"I'm so sorry I had to do it, Danny. But I think... You know how you told me, when we got back together... You were sorry but you were glad that you broke it off, because otherwise you would never have known how much it would hurt to lose me. So you would never make that mistake again. It didn't make sense to me at the time, you know? Lose me to make sure you never lost me?"

"I know, it's dumb, but...

"No, Danny, it makes sense now." She rested a hand on his cheek and leaned in to kiss him softly. "I hate that I had to hurt you to learn that, but I promise you, no matter how crazy I get, and I will get crazy... it won't ever happen again."

Danny smiled. "I know. I knew if you came back..." He returned the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "I'm just so... so glad you did."

Mindy hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to get his hopes up, but she didn't want to keep any secrets, even if it was just the potential of one.

"There's something else I need to tell you. It's just... a possibility."

Danny pulled back to look at her, his eyes shining with hope. "Do you... you think..."

"I don't know." She interrupted. "It's probably nothing. When I was leaving, my mom said... well, she thinks she has some kind of super mom intuition." Her fingers moved to find his and he threaded them together, then pulled her hand up to touch it to his lips, while his eyes never left her face. "When I think about it, it could maybe make sense... I've been so tired, and well, the mood swings..."

She rolled onto her back and looked down. "These don't look any bigger, do they?" She joked.

Lowering his gaze to her chest, Danny grinned. "Let me check..." He released Mindy's hand and reached for her, caressing her. She laughed and rolled back into him.

"Let's find out." He said excitedly. "There a pharmacy a few blocks away, I can be back in a half hour." He started to get up, but Mindy stopped him.

"No, no. We can wait till tomorrow. In case... I don't want anything to take away from this right now." She snuggled in, holding him tighter.

Danny laughed. "Wow, okay. You definitely made a breakthrough in Boston. I would have thought you'd have found a test on the plane."

"I wanted to wait for you." She pressed her lips against his shoulder.

Mindy woke up to the smell of bacon. She luxuriated in the bed for a moment, feeling a kind of peace and serenity she had been missing for a long time, realizing it was okay if this was her forever. She had Danny, and that was so much more than enough.

She could easily have stayed in bed all morning, especially if Danny brought her bacon - the two most delicious things she could imagine! But her bladder compelled her to rise. She nearly missed the box on the bathroom counter.

"Did you really sneak out and get a pregnancy test, Danny?" Mindy took the package into the kitchen to find him grinning, with a slab of bacon and the beginnings of pancakes. His eyes were dancing. "You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Aren't you?" He looked at her quizzically.

"I'm not letting myself get excited. I don't want to get ahead of myself... Or lose myself again." Her smile was tentative.

Danny set aside his spatula and held her.

"Don't squeeze too tight, I still gotta pee!" She squeaked.

"Well, go do it already." Danny spun her around and pushed her towards the bathroom.

Mindy emerged shortly with the stick on a wad of tissue. "I need food to get me through this." She was rewarded with a plate full of pancakes and bacon, which she devoured with gusto as they waited. Danny admired her skill.

"Geez, how am I going to afford to feed you when you're eating for two?" His voice had a little catch in it. She glared at him and grabbed the stick.

"Ha ha, jokes on you buddy." She smirked as she handed it to him. "I already am."

"Min." Danny's eyes met hers, and she felt a sting of tears when she saw his expression. He nearly pulled her off her chair with his embrace. "You're gonna be a mom."

"Hell yes I am." She kissed him with all her heart. "I gotta call my mom! And your mom! And Morgan!"

"Let's just... let's enjoy it by ourselves for just a bit, okay?" Danny stroked her face. She wrinkled her nose in response.

"I'll give you a week."

To no ones surprise, it was less than a week before Danny broke down and told everyone he could possibly think of, including strangers on the subway, that the woman he loved was carrying his child.

Epilogue

Danielle Frances Lahiri Castellano was born just past midnight on August 10, 2016. She was screaming and hollering from the first moment, just as expected. Work began on providing her a sibling approximately eight weeks later.


End file.
